As Sony holds talks about acquiring the Elden Ring developer’s parent company, one investor is reportedly joking that the cost of acquiring director Hidetaka Miyazaki alone is worth it

Sony is officially in talks to acquire Kadokawa, the Japanese media conglomerate behind hundreds of manga, anime and video game properties. The publisher even owns a 70 percent stake in powerhouse FromSoftware, known for Dark Souls and Elden Ring, and one investor reportedly thinks the acquisition is worth it for the studio’s creative frontman alone.

Hidetaka Miyazaki has long been responsible for FromSoftware’s biggest hits, directing everything from Dark Souls and Bloodborne to Elden Ring and Armored Core, making him one of the most revered and recognizable names in the industry ever since. Now his desolate and often punishing role-playing games are at the center of a billion-dollar takeover.